Locking tab for hook-in type shelving

ABSTRACT

An improved locking tab for horizontal components of hook-in type shelving, of the kind that is integral with the horizontal components and bent into the upper part of one of the slots of the posts, this locking tab having: 
     (1) an upper surface that is slanted backwards a certain amount so that this surface is perpendicular with the centerline of the port or slightly slanted backwards when the locking tab is bent into the locked position, thus preventing that the locking tab is bent back by shaking of the shelving. 
     (2) a secondary tab with a shoulder surface abutting the post when the tab is bent into the locked position, and a surface away from the post such that the end of a screwdriver can be placed between the latter surface and the post and twisted to bend the locking tab back into its original position, thus making it easy to disassemble the shelving.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shelving systems consisting of vertical postswith slots and horizontal components with hooks going into these slotsas shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,835 by Husband et al. Existing lockingtabs integral with horizontal components as shown in Husband et al. andbent into post slots above the hooks of the horizontal components, toprevent the latter from coming out of the post slots due to unusual oraccidental side loads from earthquakes, collisions of forklifts againstshelving etc., are unsatisfactory in two areas:

(1) It is very difficult and cumbersome to bend them back into theiroriginal position if the shelving has to be taken apart.

(2) When the shelving is exposed to substantial shaking, they have atendency to work loose. This is caused by the fact that the surface onthe tab that locks against the top of the slot in the post is slantedforward after the tab is bent into its locking position. This combinedwith the upward movement of the hook and the sideways shifting whensideloads occur, will bend the locking tab back in small increments, butsufficiently fast to cause the horizontal components to come out after afew minutes of vigorous shaking.

To remedy these deficiencies it is possible to design more sophisticatedlocking devices, not integral with the horizontal shelving components,but these will increase erection time of the shelving and also make itmore expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing it is the object of the present invention toprovide a locking tab, integral with horizontal components of theshelving, that can be easily bent back in its original position and thatafter being bent into its locking position has an upper surface that isperpendicular to the centerline of the post or slightly slantedbackwards. Briefly this is accomplished by:

(1) Adding a secondary locking tab to the primary locking tab whichallows to bend the whole tab back into its original position byinserting a screwdriver between the secondary tab and the post andtwisting it.

(2) Slanting the top surface of the primary tab backwards at an angleequal to or larger than the angle the tab is rotated forward when bentinto the locking position, so that in the latter position the topsurface of the primary tab is perpendicular to the centerline of thepost or slightly slanted backwards.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a section of a post and the end of ahorizontal component in position to be hooked into the post, thehorizontal component having a locking tab per this invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the same post and horizontal component,but with the horizontal component hooked into the post and the lockingtab bent into the locking position.

FIG. 3 shows enlarged the locking tab of FIGS. 1 and 2 in side view inits position before bending (solid lines) and after bending (dashedlines).

FIG. 4 shows a locking tab as in FIG. 3, but with a somewhat differentlyshaped secondary locking tab.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment will now be described referring to FIGS. 1, 2and 3.

Shown are a post 11 and a horizontal component 12. The horizontalcomponent 12 has a locking tab 13, that can be bent into the post slot14 above the hook 15 of the horizontal member 12 by placing the end of ascrewdriver in slot 16 and twisting it. The locking tab 13 has an uppersurface 17 that is slanted back a certain amount so that this surface 17is perpendicular with the centerline of the post or slightly slantedbackwards when the locking tab 13 is bent into the post slot 14. (Seedashed outline of locking tab in FIG. 3.)

The locking tab 13 also has a secondary tab 18 which has a shouldersurface 19 that abuts against the post 11 when the tab 13 is bent intoslot 14 and a surface 20 that tapers away from the post 11, so that theend of a screwdriver can be placed between this surface 20 and the post11 and twisted to bend the tab 13 back into its original position.

In FIG. 4 is shown another configuration of the secondary tab 18. It isdifferent from the one shown in FIG. 3 in that there is a step 21between surfaces 19 and 20 which allows deeper insertion of the end ofthe screwdriver between the secondary tab and the post and thereby willallow insertion of a larger screwdriver, making it slightly easier tobend the locking tab 13 back into its original position.

While the invention has been described and illustrated herein withreference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shelving assembly comprising vertical posts ofsheet metal or the like having at least one wall with a plurality ofslots in said wall spaced from each other along the length of the post;horizontal beams of sheet metal or the like having a web portion and oneor more hooks protruding from the ends of the webs, each of these hooksbeing received in one of the slots in the posts such that said beamsextend transversely from said posts with said beam webs substantiallyperpendicular to the said walls with slots of the posts; said beam webshaving in addition, extending upwards from at least one of the hooks ateach end of the beams, locking tabs, these locking tabs being bendableforward into slots of the posts above the hooks, thus preventing thebeams from being lifted upward relative to the posts and thus preventingunlocking of the hooks of the beams from the posts, these locking tabshaving an upper surface that is slanted backwards and downwards from thehorizontal such that this surface is substantially perpendicular withthe centerline of the post after the locking tab is bent forward intothe locked position.
 2. A shelving assembly as claimed in claim 1, butwith the locking tab having in addition a secondary tab with a shouldersurface abutting the post when the tab is bent forward into the lockedposition and a second surface adjoining said abutting surface in anupward direction and tapering away from the post such that the end of ascrewdriver can be placed between the said second surface and the postand twisted to bend the tab back into its original position.
 3. Ashelving assembly as claimed in claim 1, but with the locking tabshaving an upper surface that is slanted backwards and downwards a largeenough amount to insure that after the locking tab is bent forward intothe slot of the post this upper surface is still slanted backwards anddownwards relative to the horizontal.
 4. A shelving assembly as claimedin claim 3, but with the locking tab having in addition a secondary tabwith a shoulder surface abutting the post when the tab is bent forwardinto the locked position and a second surface adjoining said abuttingsurface in an upward direction and tapering away from the post such thatthe end of a screwdriver can be placed between the said second surfaceand the post and twisted to bend the tab back into its originalposition.
 5. A locking tab as claimed in claim 4, but with a secondarytab having in addition to a shoulder surface abutting the post when thetab is bent forward into the locked position, a second surface adjoiningthe latter abutting surface at substantially a right angle to saidabutting surface and in a direction away from the post and in addition athird surface adjoining the second surface at substantially a rightangle in a direction upwards and substantially parallel to the postafter the locking tab is bent into the locked position, allowing in asituation with the same space limitations insertion of a largerscrewdriver for bending back the locking tab than is possible with thedesign claimed in claim
 7. 6. A locking tab as claimed in claim 2, butwith a secondary tab having in addition to a shoulder surface abuttingthe post when the tab is bent forward into the locked position, a secondsurface adjoining the latter abutting surface at substantially a rightangle to said abutting surface and in a direction away from the post andin addition a third surface adjoining the second surface atsubstantially a right angle in a direction upwards and substantiallyparallel to the post after the locking tab is bent into the lockedposition, allowing in a situation with the same space limitationsinsertion of a larger screwdriver for bending back the locking tab thanis possible with the design claimed in claim 6.